NIAGARA FALLS, ON — The Canadian national government has relocated some 3,000 migrants to hotels in Niagara Falls, Ontario. And more could be on the way. That causes the mayor of that city to be worried that the surge may not leave enough room for the millions of visitors who arrive each year to see the scenic wonder of Niagara Falls.
We've all heard about the simmering immigration crisis at the US Southern border and perhaps you have also seen reports that some of those crossing into the US were then in turn sent north by bus to New York City.
But NYC Mayor Eric Adams said his city was also overwhelmed by the swelling group of asylum seekers. So as NBC affiliate WPTZ reported, some were shipped north again with bus trips paid for by New York City government. They ended up in Plattsburgh, New York and could then be ferried by cab and Uber to go further north to slip over the border into Quebec province in Canada.
With too many migrants apparently arriving there, the Canadian federal agency called Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada reportedly started this summer to send them on to Niagara Falls, Ontario where there are over 16,000 hotel rooms.
CTV Toronto interviewed Niagara Falls, Ont Mayor Jim Diodati who said, "It started out originally as 87 rooms. And now we're shooting for numbers like 2,000 and more rooms. So, that puts a significant strain on our system."
That is because the city and province, along with YMCA of Niagara, according to Global News, have been providing food, warm clothing, and other supplies and services for the hundreds and now up to 3,000 newly arrived people.
Mayor Diodati says they have been willing to help but he has a major concern. "May 24 is when we begin our tourism season and it just continues to escalate from there. So we need to have a plan going forward. It seems like there isn't a plan. And we know right now how many rooms they need today. We don't know how many they're gonna need tomorrow. And we don't know where the sunset is - we don't know where this is gonna end."
Global News quotes a Canadian government spokeswoman as saying they understand the strain on resources and are actually seeking additional destinations for asylum seekers.
Global News also reports the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers "intercepted" nearly 4,100 people at the Quebec southern border with the US in 2021. Then in 2022 it shot up at the Quebec border to over 39,000 thousand people.